WE ARE 2015 ANNUAL REPORT

Transcription

1 WE ARE 2015 ANNUAL REPORT 1

2 FY15 Board of Trustees WILLIAM V. BILL BELL, CHAIR City of Durham WILL ALLEN, TREASURER City of Raleigh FRED FOSTER, JR. Durham County ELLEN RECKHOW Durham City/County GOTRIANGLE 2015 ANNUAL REPORT JENNIFER ROBINSON, VICE CHAIR MARY ANN BALDWIN ED GRANNIS JEFF SHEEHAN Town of Cary City of Raleigh NC Board of Transportation NC Board of Transportation BERNADETTE PELISSIER, JIM CRAWFORD ED HARRISON SECRETARY NC Board of Transportation Town of Chapel Hill Orange County FRED N. DAY IV VIVIAN JONES Wake County Wake County 2 3

3 A Word from Our Chair MAYOR WILLIAM BELL 2015 was an important year in the growth of GoTriangle. We unveiled a new brand, continued work toward light rail service in Durham and Orange counties, went to sevenday bus service, expanded Fortify commuter service, saw improved ratings from Durham s riders and positive steps toward more transit options for Wake County. In March, Triangle Transit became GoTriangle. The Durham Area Transit Authority became GoDurham and Capital Area Transit became GoRaleigh. C-Tran will change its name to GoCary in The new brand marks two years of work with our partners to develop a new marketing strategy that better reflects the services we offer. During the year, GoTriangle obtained approval from the NC Railroad Company for use of the railroad corridor for the proposed Durham-Orange Light Rail Project in downtown Durham. We continue work on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and the first round of environmental meetings and public hearings are scheduled in early FY16. We are on target to complete all environmental work by February Our efforts have been helped by over 200 public workshops, community meetings and neighborhood sessions to get feedback on the planned rail line. We estimate we ve met over 4,000 people as part of our public involvement campaign. Working with our partners, we completed the sale of land for Raleigh s Union Station to provide a first-class rail terminal. We also entered into an agreement with the City of Durham and Town of Chapel Hill for joint bus purchases for the next five years to better use our dollars and upgrade our fleets. GoTriangle ridership rose one percent during the year to 1,843,765, increasing by 21,000 riders. We added hours to our Saturday schedule and added Sunday service. Our express routes between Chapel Hill and Raleigh and Durham and Raleigh continue to do well. Working with Orange County, we began express service between Durham, Hillsborough and Mebane. We also added four new routes for the Fortify reconstruction program on I-40, to join an express route added last year from Johnston County to Raleigh. We offered more service for GoDurham during the year and had a total of 6.2 million trips. Though ridership declined slightly, our ontime performance rose to an all time high of 84% and we saw a marked improvement in customer satisfaction ratings. Our management of GoDurham for the City of Durham continues to be a good fit for us and Durham. We are supporting work on a new Wake Transit plan, partnering with Wake County, the City of Raleigh, the Town of Cary, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning...GoDurham performance rose to an all time high of 84% Organization, the Research Triangle Foundation, NC State University and the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority to complete an updated vision for transit in Wake County by January With strong growth in Raleigh and Wake, we must work to provide better service for commuters and those that use transit daily. Our growth and success this year could not have happened without the continued support from our riders, citizens, elected officials and business leaders in Durham, Orange and Wake counties. Our Board of Trustees and workforce of over 200 remain committed to offer a top-notch rider experience, stellar customer service and cooperative regional partnerships. As we wrap up the year, a special thanks to outgoing General Manager David King, who has served as our CEO since He has been a stalwart supporter of our efforts and helped us grow and succeed. We welcome Jeff Mann as our incoming General Manager in FY16. We know his work as Deputy Transportation Secretary for NCDOT and with Amtrak will help us as we move forward. Together, we continue to see success in our services and pledge to continue to plan efficient and excellent options for the future. Thanks for supporting GoTriangle. 4 5

4 Jeff Mann here with outgoing General Manager David King, who served from New Leadership at the Helm GOTRIANGLE S NEW GENERAL MANAGER, JEFF MANN GoTriangle begins the next fiscal year with new management. In June, the Board named Jeff Mann the agency s next General Manager. Mann previously served as Deputy Secretary with the N.C. Department of Transportation. Before joining NCDOT, Mann was with Amtrak, Parsons Brinckerhoff and the N.C. Railroad Company. Mann says he s taken with the skill level and dedication of the staff. To take on the amount of work it s taken to advance the Durham-Orange Light rail project is incredibly impressive. Mann says there s much to do in the next five years including advancing the Durham-Orange Light Rail Project through engineering to 100% design and construction. He also says a priority will be to finish the Wake County Transit Plan, bring that Plan to the voters and have a successful tax vote in November of If approved, the Plan could quadruple bus service and add commuter rail and bus rapid transit in Wake County. He also hopes to educate the public on the growing need for transit. We have bad traffic congestion today and we ll have terrible congestion in the next five to fifteen years if we don t heavily invest in transit. Transit will be critical to recruit industry and new jobs for a successful economy. 7

5 A New Name for Regional Transit In March, GoTriangle became the new name for regional transit. GoTriangle joins GoRaleigh and GoDurham as part of a new family of services called GoTransit. Among those helping kick off the new look on March 25th were N.C. Secretary of Transportation Tony Tata, Raleigh Mayor ProTem John Odom and GoTriangle Board Chair and Durham Mayor Bill Bell. Mayor Bell said, this new transit brand maintains what makes us unique as individual cities and agencies. It also reflects our vision for transit to be the link that grows our businesses and improves the quality of life for residents through the Triangle. The new names replace Triangle Transit, Capital Area Transit and Durham Area Transit Authority. Cary s C-Tran will become GoCary in Buses and other vehicles on the road are incorporating the new logo and design elements gradually along with social media and websites. Great Service from your crew. I left phone on Tues pm CRX & Wed am driver Jonas returned it to me! Wow! Thank you! 8 9

6 FY15 Ridership Increasing the Ride 210, , , % FY15 Total Ridership 1,843, % FY14 1,822,853 GoTriangle now offers later service on Saturday and service on Sunday, making 190,000 it a seven-day provider of transit service. Saturday service now runs until 11 P.M. Service on Routes 100, 400, 700 and 800 runs from 7 A.M. until 7 P.M. on Sunday. 180, ,000 The Durham-Orange Express began service in August 2014, expanding in January 2015 to provide service to the Efland-Cheeks Community Center and Cone Health 160,000 MedCenter in Mebane. The Mebane stop connects with service on PART Route 4, permitting a bus connection to the Triad. 150,000 The expanded service in Durham and Orange counties is paid for in part by the voter-approved one-half cent sales tax for transit. 140, , ,800 19% 120, ,000 Going around the traffic on the shoulder+wifi. 2 perks of commuting this morning! jul aug sep oct nov dec jan feb mar apr may jun 10 11

7 The drivers are great. They ll get you where you want to go on time and help get you to the door. Without them, life would be tough. Transit Options for All GoTriangle s T-Linx service provides a vital link for those with disabilities that prevent them from using other transit options like bus or vanpool. William Riggins has been using T-Linx for the last 12 years, helping him get to his job. Riggins says before T-Linx, he had to hop on a bus at Moore Square, travel to the Research Triangle Park, then transfer to a bus to get him to work near Durham Tech. William says, the door to door option it s great. I don t have to worry about traffic like I used to. Riggins is one of a growing number of riders taking T-Linx. During the fiscal year, the fleet s 15 paratransit vehicles drove nearly 500,000 miles helping push annual ridership to 34,919. William Riggins Paratransit Services customer The criteria for determining who is eligible for paratransit services is defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). As a daily rider 400/405, I m feeling a little giddy right now. Hurray for #Carrboro and #ChapelHill! 12 13

8 FY2010 FY2011 FY2012 FY2013 FY2014 FY2015 Options Around I-40 Congestion In 2015, commuters got new bus service to help them through the latest phase of the I-40 Fortify Rebuild Project. 1,769,200 1,822,853 1,843,735 With lanes in both directions up for repair through early 2017, GoTriangle with the NCDOT have added express service to help commuters get to downtown 1,578,598 Raleigh. The new service included connections from downtown Cary, South Cary, Fuquay-Varina and Clayton. Downtown Raleigh connections for the Johnston 1,287,157 County Express (JCX) were changed to improve bus stops. More information is available at or 1,091,626 Yearly Ridership Comparison 14 15

9 This year operations redefined quality to ensure that it includes safety, customer service and teamwork. We ve focused all of our energies on our image. Our brand must and will equate to high quality service. 83 FY2015 TOTAL RIDERSHIP { of our riders use our services between home, work, or school. 29.7% of our riders are students 1,843, % of our riders walk to the bus 67.2% 1,050,463 VANPOOL MILES TRAVELED 570 VANPOOL SUBSCRIBERS FIXED ROUTE MILES TRAVELED Tellis Chandler Interim Director of Bus Operations VANPOOL VEHICLES 498,277 PARATRANSIT RIDERSHIP 34,919 PARA- TRANSIT MILES 14 PARATRANSIT VEHICLES 14 REGIONAL ROUTES 2,630,942 1,407 AVG. WEEKDAY CALL VOLUME BUSES WEEKDAY EXPRESS ROUTES 4SHUTTLE ROUTES 459,765 CALL CENTER CALLS 16 17

10 Special Sales Tax $30,561,753 Bus Fares & Consignments $2,369,391 My favorite bus moment is the announcement for arrival at Durham Station! It s not a robo-voice, but a very spirited lady who sounds like she loves the place. She may as well say, Welcome home, honey. It makes me smile every single time! TOTAL REVENUES $68,780,623 Vanpool Fares Investment Income Rental Vehicle Tax Vehicle Registration Fees NCDOT FTA Local Other $420,975 $485,574 $9,924,456 $10,622,625 $2,649,374 $5,732,454 $632,296 $5,341,725 Emily Durham-Raleigh Express customer Operating Expenditures Operating Reserves Capital Expenditures $32,144,502 $19,219,988 $17,416,133 TOTAL EXPENDITURES $68,780,

11 DATA Joins the Party Also as a part of regional rebranding efforts, the Durham Area Transit Authority rebranded itself as GoDurham. With the new name and new look also came improvements in on-time performance. GoDurham provided 6.2 million trips during the fiscal year with a slight decrease in trips over While ridership fell about one percent, service hours were expanded by four percent during the year, especially on the Route 12 (NCCU, NC 54 and NC 55 ) and Route 15 (TW Alexander Dr. and Brier Creek). Customers told us they re more satisfied with GoDurham service. The 2015 rider survey showed major improvements in service frequency, the ease of connection between buses and the number of routes running on time. We also found that GoDurham had more boardings per hour than transit systems in Charlotte and Raleigh. Where there were drops in system ridership, we believe they were due to severe weather events, declining fuel prices and unemployment. In addition to the fixed route service on GoDurham, GoTriangle also helps manage the ACCESS paratransit program, the fare-free Bull City Connector and the Robertson Scholars (RSX) bus between UNC and Duke. Finding joys in the daily #commute thanks express bus to #Durham

12 When I first started riding, I wasn t sure if I would like it, but they all took me under their wings and told me where my stop was, when to pull the cord all of it! Since starting to ride the bus, I ve now convinced three other coworkers to try it. Durham County BUS & RAIL INVESTMENT PLAN Theodore Route 800 customer 22

13 B A C KG R O U N D In 2011, voters approved a local sales tax to support funding for the Durham County Bus and Rail Investment Plan (Transit Plan). The tax levy went into effect in April This third annual progress report from GoTriangle highlights the goals, the accomplishments, projects and finances of the Transit Plan from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015 FINANCIAL The FY15 revenues and expenses for the Durham Bus and Rail Investment Plan are shown below. The revenues to fund the Transit Plan include a voter-approved one-half cent sales tax, a seven dollar county vehicle registration fee, a three dollar regional registration fee and a portion of the five percent regional vehicle rental tax. Expenditures include light rail project development, bus services and administration. GOALS The long range goals of the Transit Plan are to: Connect more residents with jobs Connect more residents with post-secondary and vocational educational opportunities Expand bus capacity on corridors with high current bus ridership Provide better regional connections to other cities and the RDU Airport TOTAL REVENUES $ 27,423,379 TOTAL EXPENSES $ 13,170,143 ACCOMPLISHMENTS During the year, the following service enhancements were funded with transit tax dollars: More frequent service Monday-Saturday on GoDurham s Route 12 serving NC 54/55 New trips seven days a week on GoDurham s Route 15 to Brier Creek Additional morning service on GoDurham s Route 14 between the Streets at Southpoint and NC 54/NC 55 Durham County ACCESS provided 1,103 expanded demand response trips for 30 rural and county residents New GoTriangle commuter express service (Route ODX) from Mebane, Efland, and Hillsborough to Duke and VA Medical Centers and downtown Durham Later Saturday evening and Sunday service on GoTriangle routes connecting Durham, Chapel Hill and RTP (Routes 400, 700, and 800), also with Route 100 to RDU Airport and Raleigh (Route 100 is funded by a separate source, not Durham County funds) $24,372,592 Voter-approved 1 2 cent sales tax $11,175,113 Light Rail Development $1,537,741 $7 vehicle registration fee $1,945,964 Bus Services* $1,027,181 $3 vehicle registration fee $49,066 Administration $485,865 %5 vehicle rental tax *Funding for bus services is allocated 69% to GoDurham, 27% to GoTriangle, and 3% to Durham County ACCESS. *FY15 revenue shown excludes interest income and investment earnings of $186,431. *FY15 ending reserves total $34,972,664; (FY14 $19,910,570; FY13 $3,963,542). These reserves are as reported in GoTriangle s FY15 Annual Report and exclude the registration taxes rendered to Durham County. The reserves will be used for services and capital projects defined in the Next Steps section of this report

14 Durham/Orange Bus Enhancements 11 DURHAM COUNTY 2 NORTHGATE MEBANE HILLSBOROUGH 7 DUKE UNIV. DURHAM STATION FY 2014 FY Provided 15 min service between Chapel Hill and Streets at Southpoint on Route Increased service from 30min to every 15min between Durham Station and Northgate Mall Increased service from 30min to every 15min between Durham Station and Northgate Mall Improved services between South Square and Durham Station on Route 10B Introduced Sunday Service on routes 400, 700 and 800 and also connecting RDU to Raleigh via route 100. Extended Saturday Service Increased trips to add 15 min service all day Monday Saturday and 6:30am 7:30pm Sundays Added trips to increase to 30 min service Monday Saturday Added early-morning departure from Streets at Soutpoint to Durham Station Monday Saturday Extended the new Mebane-Hillsborough commuter service to Duke and UNC ORANGE COUNTY Downtown Durham 27 1 SOUTH SQUARE 4 STREETS AT SOUTHPOINT 6 NCCU WAKE COUNTY BRIER CREEK REGIONAL TRANSIT CENTER

15 NEXT STEPS The following services will be implemented in the upcoming fiscal year (July 2015 through June 2016): Service every 15 minutes during morning service periods on GoDurham Routes 5 (serving Fayetteville Street) and 10 (serving Chapel Hill Rd. and University Drive) Durham County ACCESS will continue to expand its demand-response service offers to rural residents, the elderly and disabled where there are gaps in the current public transportation network GoTriangle will add trips to the Durham-Raleigh Express The following capital projects will move forward in the coming fiscal year: Vehicle purchases by all three agencies Completion of 20 bus stop improvements and design for an additional 20 locations Feasibility analysis and site selection for a Neighborhood Transit Center at the Village shopping center in east Durham Feasibility analysis and site selection for a park-and-ride lot in Rougemont Lease of park-and-ride facilities for planned commuter service between south Durham and the Duke/VA Medical Centers Orange County BUS & RAIL INVESTMENT PLAN 28

16 BACKGROUND In 2012, voters approved a local sales tax to support funding for the Orange County Bus and Rail Investment Plan (Transit Plan). The tax levy went into effect in April Later Saturday evening and Sunday service on GoTriangle routes connecting Durham, Chapel Hill and RTP (Routes 400, 700, and 800), also with Route 100 to RDU Airport and Raleigh (Route 100 is funded by a separate source, not Orange County funds) This third annual progress report from GoTriangle highlights the goals, accomplishments, projects and finances of the Transit Plan from July 1, 2014 to June 30, GOALS The long range goals of the Transit Plan are to: Improve overall mobility and transportation options in the region Provide geographic equity Support improved capital facilities Support transit supportive land use Provide positive impact on air quality ACCOMPLISHMENTS During the year, the following service enhancements were funded with transit tax dollars: Chapel Hill Transit expanded peak period and mid-day service on Routes A, D, J and NS Chapel Hill Transit expanded Saturday hours on the FG and D Routes New GoTriangle commuter express service (Route ODX) from Mebane, Efland, and Hillsborough to Duke and VA Medical Centers and downtown Durham CHAPEL HILL NORTH-SOUTH BUS PROJECT Chapel Hill Transit is conducting the North South Corridor Study along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard South Columbia US South Corridor. The study is funded by a federal grant which is not part of the Transit Plan. The Transit Plan does include funding set aside for capital improvements, if this project moves to construction in the future. The North-South Corridor Study (NSCS) represents a significant step towards achieving the goals established by the Chapel Hill 2020 Comprehensive Plan which calls for improved transit service within the corridor. HILLSBOROUGH TRAIN STATION Planning led by the NCDOT Rail Division is planned for FY Construction funding for the Hillsborough Train Station is scheduled to be available in FY 2019 and FY 2020, with $3.6 million per year provided by the N.C. Department of Transportation and GoTriangle

17 CHAPEL HILL NORTH 9 2 Orange County Bus Enhancements 6 FY 2014 FY Significant upgrades were made to 6 Morning services extended on route D 7 LIBRARY 1 10 UNIVERSITY MALL DURHAM COUNTY routes CM, CW, J and D that include: Year-round evening and night services where previously these routes were suspended during summer months. In addition, Saturday services were added as well as evening trips to route F In order to match demand, morning trips were added to routes A and J Additional mid-day trips were added to route NS to better match customer demand Additional Saturday afternoon trips added to routes D and FG CAR MILL MALL UNC 4 10 ORANGE COUNTY SOUTHERN VILLAGE 32 33

18 FINANCIAL The FY15 revenues and expenses for the Orange Bus and Rail Investment Plan are shown below. The revenues to fund the Transit Plan include a voter-approved one-half cent sales tax, a seven dollar county vehicle registration fee, a three dollar regional registration fee and a portion of the five percent regional vehicle rental tax. Expenditures include light rail project development, bus services and administration. TOTAL REVENUES $7,689,426 TOTAL EXPENSES $ 4,748,161 NEXT STEPS The following services will be implemented in the upcoming fiscal year (July 2015 through June 2016): Orange County through Orange Public Transportation will implement an increase in the midday service frequency of the Hillsborough-Chapel Hill Shuttle and extended the route to Cedar Grove, north of Hillsborough in FY16. Chapel Hill Transit will expand service during peak periods and evenings on the HS route Any new potential services for Chapel Hill Transit will be identified as part of annual budget development in coordination with Chapel Hill Transit s Public Transit Committee GoTriangle will add trips to the Chapel Hill-Raleigh Express The following capital projects will move forward in the upcoming fiscal year: Vehicle purchases by all three agencies $6,189,162 Voter-approved 1 2 cent sales tax $3,322,213 Light Rail Development Feasibility analysis and design of a park-and-ride lot in Hillsborough $760,711 $7 vehicle registration fee $1,379,291 Bus Services* Feasibility and design of bus stop improvements at Manning Drive at UNC Hospital $238,368 $3 vehicle registration fee $46,657 Administration $501,185 5% vehicle rental tax *Funding for bus services is allocated 64% to Chapel Hill Transit, 24% to GoTriangle, and 12% to Orange Public Transportation. FY15 revenue shown excludes interest income and investment earnings of $51,937. FY15 ending reserves total $9,040,165; (FY14 $6,125,406; FY13 $1,112,228). The reserves will be used for services and capital projects defined in the Next Steps section of this report

19 Durham-Orange Light Rail Project Environmental Work Nears Completion During the year, GoTriangle continued work on the proposed 17-mile Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit Project. The proposed light rail line will run from Chapel Hill to East Durham, service UNC Hospitals and UNC, the Friday Center, Patterson Place, Duke University, Duke University Medical Center, the VA Medical Center, downtown Durham and East Durham. Public involvement was a major part of the environmental outreach. Between July 2014 and June 2015, there were more than 200 meetings with the public, neighborhoods and community groups totaling more than 4,000 people. The environmental work will lead to a Draft Environmental Impact Statement in the fall of 2015 and a Final Environmental Impact Statement/Record of Decision in early The Draft Environmental Impact Statement on the project shows a cost range between $1.4B to 1.6B. A voter-approved sales tax of one-half cent funds the local share of the project in Durham and Orange counties

20 U.S. Transportation Secretary Highlights Durham-Orange Light Rail Plans The Durham-Orange Light Rail Project was among the projects highlighted during February s Grow America tour by U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. On February 19th, Foxx was joined by Second District Congressman B.K. Butterfield and Durham Mayor and GoTriangle Chair Bill Bell during his visit. Foxx told hundreds during a speech at the American Tobacco Campus, if we invest in a 21st century transportation system, we can grow jobs and the economy and create a brighter tomorrow for future generations. An independent estimate in 2015 indicates the Project will have an economic output of $4.7 Billion and $600 Million in additional impacts statewide. The project will provide an estimated 750 direct construction related jobs and over 1,000 indirect construction jobs. The Durham-Orange Light Rail Project is expected to generate $175 million annually in new tax revenue. Federal Transit Acting Administrator Therese McMillan said, this new rail line will make a huge difference for thousands of students and residents traveling to the renowned medical, educational and cultural institutions in the region. The need for these investments is clear. A U.S. DOT study, Beyond Traffic, released this year reported that Durham is part of the Piedmont Atlantic mega region which will experience a 78 percent increase in population growth between 2010 and Growth in the Durham-Orange corridor is expected to rise from 175,000 in 2005 to 231,000 in Thanks etc for the great work and dedication

21 GoPass Moving Along Partnerships like these reduce millions of trips annually, enhance the quality of life and enable major traffic generators in the region to maximize their land use by reducing their parking demands. Stephanie Loyka Employer Outreach Coordinator GoTriangle Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Services became GoSmart during the regional rebranding. Through a growing audience of developers, property managers and employers, GoSmart maximizes the creation of sound commuter solutions for the Triangle and it s working! Our TDM strategies emphasize connecting residents with city amenities and recreational outlets with work centers and universities. In turn, travel options other than driving alone improve and become more attractive. We continue to cultivate partnerships on pace with employment growth and regional development through programs and services such as Share the Ride NC, free Emergency Ride Home, GoPerks (launched in 2015) and GoPass. The GoPass program allows students and staff to commute for free on transit agencies across the Triangle, and the employer or school pays a discounted rate per boarding. At the beginning of the year four private companies, five municipalities and three universities offered GoPasses. By the end of FY2015, five new organizations signed on! NC State Government began offering the GoPass as a component of the traffic mitigation plan for the Fortify road reconstruction project. Durham Tech & NC Central both began offering GoPasses. Additionally, American Tobacco Campus and Triangle Transit set the standard as exemplary property managers by offering free transit not only to their own employees, but also to their tenants employees. Partnerships like these reduce millions of trips annually, enhance quality of life and enable major traffic generators in the region to maximize their land use by reducing their parking demands. Got a GoPass! A wonderful benefit. Real cost savings & carbon reduction. All area

22 #GoPerks is the only reason I check my mail. Thanks for the Sweet Frog, y all! GoPerks Makes the Commute Easier There s a better way for commuters to travel. The GoPerks Program now lets commuters track their bus trip, carpool trip, vanpool commute on days that they walk or bike to work. Each day earns a point and each point is an entry that adds up toward food, fun and good times across the Triangle. Among the incentives have been gift cards to restaurants in Chapel Hill, Durham and Raleigh. Deseré Cross Local GoPerks Winner The program is free for employees in Durham, Orange or Wake counties. More information is available at - thanks for my warm & dry ride on a cold & rainy night! 42 43

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